In this Oct. 6, 2015, file photo, the HealthCare.gov website, where people can buy health insurance, is displayed on a laptop screen in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

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In what Politico labels a "huge win" for the House GOP, a federal judge ruled Thursday that the Obama administration is making unconstitutional federal expenditures to maintain the president's ObamaCare law, the AP reports. At issue: $175 billion in so-called "cost-sharing" reimbursements that the government doles out to insurers to help defray out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and co-pays for low-income people. Although Congress did give the OK to the program, it never technically appropriated the funds for it. "Congress is the only source for such an appropriation, and no public money can be spent without one," US District Judge Rosemary Collyer, who the Hill notes was appointed by George W. Bush, wrote in her decision. The Obama administration had argued that such an appropriation was already covered under funds appropriated in the tax credit section of the law, but Collyer disagreed, saying a separate appropriation had to be set up for the subsidies and that it couldn't simply be "inferred."

John Boehner's former aide, Kevin Smith, gave a shoutout to his ex-boss on Twitter over the ruling, tweeting, "Another victory for @SpeakerBoehner. Suit would never have gone forward were it not for him." Boehner tweeted his own congrats "for the American people," calling it a "victory … for House Republicans, who have stood firm for the rule of law." White House press secretary Josh Earnest had a different take. "This is not the first time that we've seen opponents of the Affordable Care Act go through the motions to try to win this political fight in the court system," he tells the Hill. "They've been losing this fight for six years, and they'll lose it again." The administration is expected to appeal Collyer's decision, though she noted that reimbursements could continue pending that appeal. (The US' biggest health-care insurer is scaling back its participation in ObamaCare.)

Obozo the Clown thinks he is king , and can do anything he wants. I say get rid of him and all the idiots that voted for him, and all the rigged voting machines, too.

JERZJOE

May 13, 2016 12:42 PM CDT

Hmmmm.. UNCONSTITUTIONAL! WOW! That FED Judge has More Educated BRAINS to know the LAW than the DUMOCRATS! There ya go ALL

farleyj1

May 13, 2016 8:47 AM CDT

The health care carrers wrote it . Congress passed it senate passed it. Just like with the Dodd Kline banking law banking lobbiests wrote it congress and senate passed it and once again in favor of that special intrest groups. June 28 2010 the US Supreme Court up held the constititional rights of the ACA in a idividual mandate as an excersice of congress taxing power. Bill passed the Senate 60- 39 Dec 24, 2009, Bill passed house 219-212 on March 31 2010. Lower courts can not trump a higher courts deision This is the Senate's health care bill. The bill started off with text regarding an unrelated matter but the Senate is co-opted this bill as a vehicle for passage of their reform and changed the text in whole to the health care bill. They do this because the Constitution requires all revenue bills to start in the House, and their health reform plan involves revenue. So they have chosen to work off of a bill that started in the House, even if that bill is unrelated. End of story. People need to be held accountable.